JEDDAH — Saudi German Hospitals (SGH) Group has reported some outstanding achievements in 2019 under the leadership of its President, Makarem Sobhi Batterjee, who plans to rejuvenate the 30-year-old brand.

Aiming to further boost its market stronghold, SGH Group has rolled out a seriesa of initiatives, which aim at redefining the healthcare provider’s standards in the market. It has also taken measures to ensure consistent delivery and easy access to high-quality healthcare services designed around the patients’ needs.

Being known for its International Visiting Professors (IVP) program, which was introduced to provide international healthcare services to the local market, SGH Group has facilitated more than 100 visits for doctors from Germany and other parts of the world, to treat patients across its hospitals in the region. The visiting doctors performed hundreds of consultations and successful surgeries, including a ‘Deep Brain Stimulation’ procedure that was done for the first time in the region. The procedure is a revolutionary treatment for people suffering from Parkinson’s Disease.

Makarem Sobhi Batterjee, President, SGH Group, said: “We always look for ways to better serve our local community. Our priority is to provide them with easy access to premium international healthcare close to home so that they do not need to travel abroad for medical care. Because of this commitment, we have brought world-class medical expertise to the country, incorporated state-of-the-art technologies into our services, and consistently observed the highest level of ethical standards and personalized care”.

Among the initiatives taken by the group as well was the introduction of its VIP centers, these facilities offer a host of premium and exclusive benefits to their members, including comprehensive medical care, free annual check-ups, discounted medical services, follow-up treatments, and free hair and skin care solutions.

A major milestone in the group’s long list of achievements in 2019 is being affiliated with the number 1 hospital in the US, Mayo Clinic, in Cairo, which makes it the only hospital that’s part of the Mayo Clinic Care Network in Africa. The group also expanded heavily, with 2 new openings in 2019, their 10th hospital in Ajman and more recently their 11th one in Dammam. “We have big plans to expand in KSA, MENA and beyond,” Said Makarem. “Our hospital in Dammam is our most recent facility which now gives people in the Easter Province access to SGH quality of care. We are now accessible to over 90 per cent of the patients in the Kingdom and around 60% of the population in the UAE.” He added.

Additionally, the Group has ensured to hire a highly experienced and qualified medical and managerial staff. As such, the year 2019 saw SGH recruiting the best talents - with new local and international doctors joining its qualified roster of medical specialists – in addition to creating new roles for improved operational efficiency and enhanced patient experience and satisfaction.

“As a result of our focused efforts, our ranking in hospitals inpatient services in the GCC have improved significantly by 31 rank points, while our ranking for our emergency department in the entire GCC has also improved significantly, placing us among the top 6% of hospitals in the GCC. We will continue to work hard to improve our ranking on all fronts and provide healthcare services that are second to none.” Makarem added.

Further, SGH group plays an important role in training and education, where they conducted more than 700 hours of Continuing Medical Education (CME) for the doctors and professionals in this field. The training ensures that the skills and knowledge of the health practitioners were up-to-date based on the latest developments, which would help them deliver the best care possible to their patients.

To further support the community, SGH participated in over 300 events this year to promote health and wellness in society and make a difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Among these events were the first-aid training of thousands of community members. Its partnerships with leading relevant groups were part of its pledge to serve the local society. SGH teamed up with the organizers of this year’s Jeddah Season, Soudah Season, Al Diriyah Season & Hail Season to provide medical services to the participants and visitors of the much-anticipated events. It also partnered with transportation network company Careem to offer its patients with convenient transportation services to and from its hospitals across Saudi Arabia.

The SGH President concluded: “We are proud that in 2019 we have taken care of over 2 million patients. We aim to further invest in higher quality healthcare services to allow us to continuously help relieve people’s suffering and have a positive impact on their lives. In 2020, we will strive to surpass our accomplishments for the benefit of our patients and community.” — SG